Pp 7 . D, L. Dowd's System. 

C C Vf VI 6 rrv 

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II V i ^ Irow TO (>BTAIN 

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/ AN EVEN DEVELOPMENT 

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OF ALL THE 



Muscles of the Human Frame, 



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/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 

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/ 
/ 

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■ - i 

THEREBY GAINING / 

k I 
j HEALTH AND STRENGTH. | 

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Soniething that is w lthin the reach of Ever,, / 
Man, Woman and Child. ^ 

RPHIXGFIELI), MASS.. / 

( ' URTIS WELLS, PRINTER. j 



\ \ \ \ \ :»» 



Pf[of. D. L. Dowd's System. 



HOW TO OBTAIN 

AN EVEN DEVELOPMENT 



OF ALL THE 



Muscles of the Human Frame, 



THEREBY GAINING 



HEALTH AND STRENGTH. 



Something that is within the reach of Every 

Man, Woman andydhild. pY Rn > Vr*^*4j|>*\ 



SPRINGFIELD, 




CURTIS B. WELLS, PRINTER. 

1883. 



You may think from the looks of this pamphlet that 
there can't be much worth in it, but I give you my word it 
is worth hundreds of dollars to any one who is in the need 
of physical training, and any man, woman or child who 
hasn't got a good, robust, straight, healthy body, is sadly 
in need of it. 

Yours respectfully, 

PROF. D. L. DO WD, 
Champion Heavy Weight Lifter of the World. 
( Hand Lift Record, 1317 lbs. of solid iron.) 

Springfield, Mass. 



Copyright, 1883, by D. L. Dowd. 



INSTRUCTION 

IN THE USE OF DUMBELLS. 

In order to obtain this development of Muscle, 
you must adhere strictly to these rules. 

First, you must practice at least four times a 
week; but if you can practice once every 24 
hours, so much the better. The whole exer- 
cise will not take over half an hour. 

Second, you must work every muscle until 
you have comfortably tired it out, and made it 
ache a little. From this light exercise the 
muscles will recover their strength very quickly. 
Always stand erect, with the head up and chest 
thrown out. 

About 4 p. m. is generally thought the best 
time to practice. If you cannot have this hour, 
take any time of day or eveniug. (Mine was 
nearly all evening work.) When going through 
this exercise never swing the arms, but raise 
and lower them by the power of the muscles, 
and not the swing. Bear in mind, you must not 
tire the muscles to the fullest extent until you 
have worked about two weeks. 



4 



INSTRUCTION. 



Third, to determine how heavy a dumb-bell 
you are to use, stand erect, with arms hanging 
at the sides, palms turned in; now raise them 
with the backs turned up as high over the 
shoulder as you can lower them again to the 
sides ; now whatever the weight may be that 
you can hold in your hands in this position, and 
raise about 20 or 25 tim^s and have them thor- 
oughly tire your shoulders and make them ache 
a little, is the exact weight you want for all 
your exercise. You will never need to change 
them for heavier ones, but as you grow stronger 
you will naturally raise them a greater number 
of times. 

Fourth, you must go through the exercises in 
the order given. 



EXERCISE 1. — MUSCLE ON SIDE OF SHOULDER. 

Stand erect, hands at sides, dumb-bell in 
each, backs of hands turned out; now raise 
them as high over the shoulder as possible and 
lower to sides ; repeat until you tire the shoul- 
ders and make them ache a iittle, as you must 
do with every muscle you work. 



INSTRUCTION. 



5 



EXERCISE 2. — FOREARM. 

Bell in each hand, let the arms hang stiff at 
the sides, backs turned out; now turn the bells 
in toward the hip as hard as you can, then turu 
them back as hard as you can, meanwhile keep- 
ing the elbow perfectly stiff. 

EXERCISE 3. — FRONT MUSCLE OF SHOULDER. 

Hands at sides, palms to the front, raise the 
bell straight forward and up as high as the 
shoulder, and lower to place ; repeat. 

EXERCISE 4. — BICEPS, OR UPPER ARM. 

Hands at sides, palms to front, raise the bells 
to the shoulder, keeping the elbows firmly at 
the sides, lower, and repeat. 

EXERCISE 5. — CALF OF THE LEG. 

Stand erect; now raise as high as possible on 
your toes; repeat. 

EXERCISE 6. — FRONT THIGH OF LEG. 

Stand erect; now bend hips and knee, unci, 
drop the body as near the floor as possible, and 
raise ; repeat. 

EXERCISE 7. — INNER TRICEPS, OR UPPER BACK 
ARM. 

Hold the arms stiff at sides with bells, palms 



6 



INSTRUCTION. 



to the front ; now raise the arms as high behind 
the back as possible, keeping the hands as near 
together as you can ; repeat. 

EXERCISE 8.— SIDES OF THE WAIST. 

Stand eiect, bells in hand; now drop the body 
sideways to the left, straight over hips; first 
one side, then the other. 

EXERCISE 9. — MUSCLE WHICH RAISES THE TOE 
IN WALKING. 

Sit on a chair or bench with the legs nearly at 
fall length, with the heels pressed hard to the 
floor ; now raise the toes towards the body as 
hard as you can, then press back again ; repeat. 

EXERCISE 10. — LOINS OF THE BACK. 

Staud erect with bells ; now bring the bells 
together in front of you, keep the arms stiff and 
straight, the same with the knees : now bend at 
the hips, letting the bells almost touch the 
floor; raise and bend a little back, keep the 
bells together in front all the time ; repeat. 

EXERCISE 11. — BACK THIGH OF LEG. 

Fasten a bell or other weight to your heel, 
and raise the foot up and back as high as you 
can, never lettiug the knee swing to the front; 
repeat. 



INSTRUCTION. 



EXERCISE 12. — OUTER TRICEP. 

Stand erect ; now elevate first one bell then 
the other straight above the head, always keep- 
ing the face turned up. 

EXERCISE 13. — PECTORALS, OR MUSCLES OF THE 
BREAST. 

If you haven't parallel bars to work on, stand 
between backs of two chairs, a hand on each ; 
draw the legs up and let the body down, bend- 
ing at the elbows ; raise part way up, and re- 
peat. 

EXERCISE 14, — ABDOMINAL MUSCLES. 

If you haven't a gymnasium to go to, nail a 
strap to the base ' board of your room large 
enough to admit both of your feef ; now place 
your feet in it, lie out at full length on the floor ; 
now bending at the hips, raise your body up- 
right^ lower, and repeat. 

EXERCISE 15. — MUSCLES ON BACK OF NECK. 

Let the arms hang at sides ; now make an 
effort to raise the shoulders up toward the head ; 
repeat. 

EXERCISE 16. — MUSCLE BACK OF SHOULDER. 

Stand erect, arms at sides ; now raise the 
right arm straight back and up as high as pos- 



8 



INSTRUCTION. 



sible, keeping the shoulders square to the frout ; 
clo this with the right and left alternately. 

EXERCISE 17.— MUSCLES UNDER SHOULDER BLADE. 

Keep the body straight, and make an effort to 
press the arm downward and backward as hard 
as possible ; first the right and then the left 
arm. 



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